The volunteer group, Friends of Abbey Fields had their final working party of the year on Thursday 17 September, as they continued their illustrious work maintaining the area for residents.

Seven volunteers collected around fifteen bags of himalayan balsam, to be composted on site.

Large areas have now been cleared of the flower, but as it has been encroaching on new areas of the fields there will be plenty of work ready for the Friends of Abbey Fields next year.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society, himalayan balsam is the largest annual plant and can grow up to 2.5m high from seed in a single season.

Because it can shoot its seed up to four metres, himalayan balsam is able to spread rapidly, hence the need for volunteers to curtail its growth.

Also, as it likes to live on the banks of streams and rivers, the water can carry the seeds downstream, which allows its rapid colonisation of other areas.

Once the plant has flowered, it creates seedpods which ripen quickly and when ready, or the plant is disturbed, the seedpods spring open, sending seeds in every direction.

It is a member of the 'Busy Lizzie' family (impatiens) with the latin name 'Impatiens Glandulifera.'

Himalayan balsam has a large pink-purple flower, with a reddish stem and its leaves have small red teeth on the edge.

Unfortunately, Abbey Fields is infested with the plant.

It appears that the best way to remove it, short of excavation or the use of agricultural grade chemicals, is to attack it before it sets